Cape Coast University conducted a 19 year rainfall study of the annual rainfall pattern of the rainy seasons in Ghana
(3 rainfall distribution zones)
Northern zone: Approximate 40 inches average rainfall; 1 cropping season
Middle: Approximate 60 inches average rainfall; 2 crop seasons
Southern zone: Approximate 80 inches average rainfall; 2 crop seasons
Rainfall in Ghana is unpredictable because each year the Tropical Rain Belt swings back and forth between the northern and southern tropics
Northern Ghana subject to heavy rainfall and then long dry spells associated with higher temperatures
This wreaks havoc on crop production and has forced natives to migrate
Both Formal (governmental resourced) irrigation and Informal Irrigation (i.e. Water Use Association WUA)
Agriculture accounts for 19.5% of the country's GDP
44.7% of Ghanaians working in the agricultural sector (as of 2016)
Ghanaian Culture
Trade between villages and regions is prevalent in Ghana; they are very community oriented
Food waste as a result of inability to store
Farmers’ profits are squeezed by the instability of the system
Ghanaian Agriculture
Common Soil Types: Clay Loam or Sandy Loam
Low organic matter content in soils; more susceptible to erosion Most Common Crops: Maize, Rice, Cowpea, Cassava, Yams, Sorghum, Tomatoes, Onion, Okra, Peanuts, Shea Nuts, and Eggplant
Ghana's main export crop is Cocoa beans; they are the second-largest producer in the world.
Rainfall, Climate, and Irrigation in Ghana
Cape Coast University conducted a 19 year rainfall study of the annual rainfall pattern of the rainy seasons in Ghana(3 rainfall distribution zones)
Rainfall in Ghana is unpredictable because each year the Tropical Rain Belt swings back and forth between the northern and southern tropics
Northern Ghana subject to heavy rainfall and then long dry spells associated with higher temperatures
- This wreaks havoc on crop production and has forced natives to migrate
Both Formal (governmental resourced) irrigation and Informal Irrigation (i.e. Water Use Association WUA)Demographics (Via the CIA)
Ghanaian Culture
Ghanaian Agriculture
Common Soil Types: Clay Loam or Sandy Loam
Low organic matter content in soils; more susceptible to erosion
Most Common Crops: Maize, Rice, Cowpea, Cassava, Yams, Sorghum, Tomatoes, Onion, Okra, Peanuts, Shea Nuts, and Eggplant
Ghana's main export crop is Cocoa beans; they are the second-largest producer in the world.